When I booked travel on Air Asia for my
flight for my flight from Siem Reap to Chiang Mai, flight QZ 8501 went down days
later.

But when I booked my flight on Lao
Airlines from Luang Prabang to Vientiane, the 2013 crash in Pakse was fresh in
my mind.

I was nervous, but an $80 one-way ticket from was too good to turn down,
especially considering that the alternative was a 12+ hour bus ride.

Fortunately, my flight on Lao Airlines
was excellent. It lasted a mere 45 minutes, and I got a free
drink and delicious fruit chips. Most people on the plane where other foreigners, but there were a handful of locals as well. I knew they were Lao because their carry-on items were all large quantities of vegetables. I sat next to a bag of cilantro. Thank god I love cilantro.